What’s at stake?“Percentage of U.S. women who
believe they have a personal responsibility to help the worse off: 42. Of U.S. men: 27.” “Harper’s Index,” Harper’s Magazine (April 2013).

Why do women seek the
equity they deserve in the US, a central goal of women’s liberation, by pushing
for military combat equality? They gain
so little via the killing code and profession, and lose so much for our entire
society and the world as caretakers.

It merges and builds on
the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, which
focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment: Division for the
Advancement of Women (DAW) International Research and Training Institute for
the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)

The trajectory of American history has
always been to greater, not less, freedom. But Making Democracy Work® has
never been easy, nor is it ever finished. And as such, the fight Catt charged
us with in 1920 continues today: ensuring that every eligible voter has free
and fair access to the polls.

In 1920, the League was founded as an outgrowth of this vital
movement. From the beginning, the League has sought to strengthen our
democracy by empowering voters to engage with their government and to tackle
the most important issues in our communities, states and nation. Today, we
are building on this legacy by working to keep the power of our democracy in
the hands of the people.

The fight for universal voting rights continues today, so as we mark this
historic anniversary, we are reminded how valuable our right to vote remains.

Thesis:
“Although individual acts of violence are readily noticed, there is often a
pattern underlying them that is less obvious.
Violence is not adequately understood by the examination of occurrences
of specific violent behavior. Rather. .
.beneath these phenotypic events there lies a genotypic pattern, often hidden,
that is a fundamental factor in its occurrence.” (80).

“Systemic
Violence against Women and Children” (92-).

“The incidence
of sexual slavery and human trafficking among poor women and children
represents yet another form of structural violence enhanced by the global
economy” (i.e., the dominant economic system).
“The United Nations estimates that there are currently 57 million female
and child prostitutes.” P & R give
as an example the sexual exploitation by the US military occupation of the
Philippines. Also see 36 sexual
assaults, 74 sexual abuse during wars, 93-4 human trafficking, 94 Violence
against Women Act, 96-6 AIDS and HIV.

Tell insurance companies:"Stop denying women access to the full range of health care
coverage guaranteed to them under the Affordable Care Act. It’s illegal and
it’s wrong."

Add your name:

Dear Dick,

The Affordable Care Act made
historic advances in coverage of women’s health care. But insurance
companies are keeping many women from accessing the coverage they deserve.

The National Women’s Law
Center just released two reports that show how insurance companies across
the country are failing to cover the range of women’s health care mandated
by the ACA.1, 2It’s not just wrong, it’s
against the law.

Insurance company violations
of the Affordable Care Act take far too many health care options off the
table for women. The National Women’s Law Center looked at plans
offered by 100 insurance companies in 15 states and found that more than
half of them were violating the ACA. Such a widespread pattern of
noncompliance makes it more than likely that the problems are systemic and
nationwide.

Here are some of the ways
that women are being left out:

Birth control: Companies
are either not covering all FDA-approved methods of birth control;
demanding out-of-pocket costs for them; or limiting coverage to generic
birth control. Companies are also charging co-payments for, or limiting
access to, the counseling and follow-up visits that are a normal part of
birth control use.

Maternity and postnatal
coverage: Some companies arbitrarily limit maternity benefits,
including only covering a single ultrasound during the pregnancy. They also
exclude maternity coverage for dependents and restrict it outside of the
plan’s service area. After birth, they limit breastfeeding education or
access to breast pumps.

Preventive and well-woman
services: Companies are requiring co-pays for preventive care
and limiting the frequency of well-woman visits. They are also limiting the
scope of gynecological exams.

In addition, insurers are
failing to provide non-discriminatory coverage by denying or restricting
coverage for pregnancy, restricting coverage based on a woman’s age, and
excluding coverage related to gender transition.

When the National Women’s Law
Center worked with local activists to confront insurers in several states,
the insurers made changes to bring their plans into compliance with the
ACA. But we know that they would never have made the changes on their own.

The more of us who speak out,
the more pressure insurance companies will feel to stop breaking the law
and provide real, equitable coverage to women. Click the link below to sign
the petition:

Why
do women seek the equity they deserve in the US, a central goal of women’s
liberation, by pushing for military combat equality? They gain so little via the killing code and
profession, and lose so much for our entire society and the world by rejecting
that much of the responsibility to nurture the world, help the weak and victims,
care for the sick and powerless. -- Dick

US
WOMEN AND US NATION ENHANCED BY WOMEN’S SUCCESS IN ARMY RANGER SCHOOL?

“…becoming the first women to complete the
grueling combat training program and earn the right to wear Ranger tabs on
their uniforms.” However, wearing the
tab “does not let them become members of the Ranger regiment.” Completing the “leadership course” is “part
of the U.S. military’s push to open more combat jobs to women. But the toughest jobs remain closed to female
soldier….” “Today about 220,000 positions
are open only to men.” But former Army
officer Sue Fulton, “who in 1980 was among the first women to graduate from
West Point, celebrated the news as another milestone toward ending gender
barriers in the military.” “Women have
for years played increasingly significant roles in combat.”

But does the goal of achieving gender
equality in all areas of US society trump that of seeking a humane, caring,
nonviolent, non-militaristic society?
Both men and women can choose nonviolent, conscientious objection to
war, particularly to the indefensible because unnecessary, illegal, and immoral
US wars since 1945. And women have
traditionally provided our society the values of caring and nurturing. That the Pentagon would suppress those values
under the guise of expanding equality offers more loss than gain. --Dick

A Department of Defense report shows that as many as eight
in 10 victims of military sexual assault don’t trust the chain of command
enough to report the atrocious crimes committed against them.

I cringe
when I hear statistics like this, but these are the facts: The current system
doesn’t work.

We need
to take immediate action to secure justice for our troops. The
Military
Justice Improvement Act would put independent military prosecutors in charge of sexual
assault cases, ensuring that victims can speak freely without fear of
retribution. Help us pass this important bill now: Add your name to
support justice for our military.

As North
Dakota’s attorney general, I saw the damage done to victims of sexual
assault up close. But few cases in the military even reach
prosecution, because the victims can’t trust that the current system will bring
them justice or protect them from retribution.

With so
many assaults and such little justice for victims, this couldn’t be more urgent.
We need to pass legislation showing the men and women of the military that we
stand with them.

> “Service: When Women Come Marching Home,”a new documentary,
chronicles the stories of eight military women, including their struggles with
sexual assaults and serious wounds and the challenges of returning from war to
family life.
> Film shows challenges of female veterans
> Military Sexual Assaults Spike Despite Efforts To Combat Epidemic
> Hal Bernton, Seattle (WA) Times